Thunder at Grizzlies: Game 4 Pregame Primer

vs.

OKC Thunder (5-3, 1-2 road) vs. Memphis Grizzlies (6-3, 4-0 home)

TV: TNT (Cox 31, HD 730);
Stream: Click here
Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1 FM, 640 AM, 97.1 FM Tulsa)
Time: 8:30 CT

Series: Memphis leads 2-1

View from the enemy: 3 Shades of Blue

Here we go again. Thunder with their backs to the wall, needing to bounce back or face an uphill climb that’s unlikely to happen.

In other words, if you’re not nervous about tonight’s game, you should be.

The hope was to sweep in Memphis and come back to Oklahoma City holding a 3-1 series edge. That was the dream. But the real goal was to at least split and regain the homecourt advantage. That’s still entirely possible for the Thunder.

What’s making things a bit more dicey though is the way Game 3 went down. The Thunder should’ve had that win all locked up with a chance to really grab this series by the stones. Instead, they blew a 16-point lead and shook everyone’s confidence. Except, according to them, their own.

Which is the key. If they can put the transgressions of Game 3 in the rearview, they can win tonight. They were better than the Grizzlies for 85 percent of Game 3 and in a lot of ways, MUCH better. But they lost, which is the all important part.

The Thunder are 23-6 in bounce back games. This is the next in line of the biggest yet. Bounce back, and they’re right where they need to be. Don’t, and they’re teetering on the rails of ruin.

Tip at 8:30 CT. Go Up The Thunder.